Kaiba woke up slowly and didn't move for what felt like an eternity.

His thoughts churned slowly.
He was still lying on a bed, but no longer in the tent.
He was in a shaded, cement structure based on the texture of the ceiling.
The sun was setting, and it was casting a bright orange strip of light across the space above him, highlighting all the bumps and cracks in the stone.

Great. He was alive.
This was what it felt like to be alive.

Everything hurt.

Dare he try to sit up?

Letting his breath out in a slow hiss, Kaiba struggled to roll over and felt his head spin terribly as his vision turned green for a moment before the color slowly returned to normal.
His throat was scratchy and dry. His entire mouth was dry.
The skin on the back of his neck stung every time he tried to raise his head, and Kaiba realized he was badly sunburnt.
Perfect.

But…the upside was the bedsheets were clean.
The downside was that his body was filthy.
He was still wearing the blood-stained clothes from the Murder Tent.

The horrific image of the man's body twitching on the ground came rushing back and Kaiba shut his eyes, cursing fluently until the image went away.

Prying his eyes open slowly, Kaiba managed to roll out of the bed and stand unsteadily on his feet, swaying dangerously as he surveyed the room.

It was a medium-sized hut, with nothing but a bed, a lone nightstand, and a window that had steel bars over it. How fantastic. He was still a prisoner.

A small opening in the wall led into another room that looked like the outside. Kaiba stumbled towards it and was surprised to see a beautiful hot spring bath surrounded by flat stones and leafy foliage.
It was like he had stepped onto a staged movie set.
Someone had plopped a beautiful, steaming, hot spring bath in the middle of this concrete hell.

"I'm…hallucinating!" Kaiba cried, throwing his head back to laugh heartily before he realized the hot water would sting his sunburns, and he sobered up instantly.
Washing the blood off himself was going to be a challenge.

Several huts away, Atem was in a meeting with everyone in his tribe. His top advisors were at his side, looking worried, but he knew just what to say to reassure them.

"The foreigner is alive," Atem announced, and he was met with looks of indifference and exasperation.

"Yes, and he looks like he eats a lot," said Shadi, who was his most hostile advisor. "Let's pawn him off to another village. We can't afford to feed another mouth."

"What is wrong with you?! He's a human being!" Mana argued, glaring at Shadi, and Atem threw her a grateful look. Mana's views most closely aligned with his, but no one was listening. They were too busy discussing amongst themselves about what to do with their newest arrival.

"May I ask why you chose him?" Isis spoke up, adjusting her headscarf regally. "You want him as a bed warmer? Is it because that's what all the other royals are doing now?"

Atem blinked, wondering if he'd heard correctly. What?

"Is that why?!" Mahad cried, giving Atem a relieved look. "It was no wonder you were so worried about them giving you the right man."

Atem paled and shook his head nervously. "I didn't get him for that purpose—" And he was talked over by Mana.

"Since when did you like men in your bed?" She mused, giving him a soft smile. "I guess I don't oppose it, but he is a foreigner…"

"A very beautiful one," Isis added, and Mana nodded vehemently in agreement. "It's only fair that our king deserves to have him first."

"Then I get him next," Mana suggested aggressively, and Shadi made a strangled noise which he didn't bother to hide.

Atem looked between the two women, and at everyone else who was whispering amongst themselves about the new stranger with pale skin, and he spoke up loudly, trying to defend himself.

"I didn't get him for that purpose," Atem felt himself heat up uncomfortably.

"Then give him to Mana," Isis said boldly, and Mana nodded fervently again, her cheeks pink with excitement.

"There's not—he's not a thing to be given!" Atem struggled to put his feelings into words, but the other villagers were already laughing and talking about something else while rising to their feet and walking out of the hut, leaving only Mahad, Mana and Isis at his side.

"Great. And everyone's gone," Atem fumed, rolling his eyes. "No one touches him!"

"We understand," Mana sang playfully, looping her arm through his and giving him a sweet smile. "He's yours until you get bored."

Atem grimaced and decided not to answer.

"His pale skin can't take the sun's rays," Mahad said gravely. "We must keep him protected under the shade. I'm just glad he's alive."

Atem agreed readily. "And he will stay that way," the king insisted, shaking Mana politely off of his arm. "Please see to it that he is brought three meals a day. Make sure he eats it."

"Very well," Mahad bowed his head and rose to his feet. "Will you go see him now?"

"Ha! No, I will not," Atem said haughtily, hoping to hide his anxiety with a lie. "I'm busy. I'll give him a few days to mellow out. I will not take any chances. He might be dangerous."

Mana gasped and her eyes widened prettily. "What a good idea, Your Majesty! You're so smart. I revere you."

Atem smiled at her and hoped it didn't come off as another grimace.

Kaiba sat on the edge of a flat rock, tentatively sinking his ankles into the hot pool of water and daring to breathe a sigh of relief. It was fine. This was fine.
Judging by his leafy surroundings, it seemed the locals had somehow managed to build a shaded structure around the spring, protecting it from wild animals.

It was extremely humid, and his grimy clothes clung to his body. Relenting, Kaiba gingerly peeled off his shirt and stepped out of his pants, wondering if it was worth washing his clothes.

No. He wouldn't contaminate the spring with blood.

Settling into the water slowly, Kaiba tried to relax, but his scalp itched. He scanned his surroundings, looking for something to scoop the water with, but there was nothing but large tree trunks and thin branches surrounding him.

Goddammit. He would have to fully submerge himself if he wanted to wash his hair.

Taking a deep breath, Kaiba grit his teeth and held his breath, sinking under the water as fast as he could. The water flooded his nose and scalded his back, sending streams of fire down his body, and Kaiba let his breath out in an explosion of bubbles, screaming silently into the water.

He climbed out of the spring and sat on the edge, trembling and gasping, his body numb from the sudden temperature change.

"F-Fuck…" Kaiba muttered under his breath, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes and feeling marginally better.

He stayed on the edge to dry off and willed himself to stay calm.

The next item on his list was getting some drinkable water. He hadn't had water in what felt like days, and Kaiba noticed it was getting darker and darker the longer he sat there. Maybe it had only been one day since he'd been separated from Mokuba, but he'd been knocked out so many times, he wasn't sure how much time had passed.

Sighing, he picked up his clothes and walked out of the bathing area, now appreciating the woven straw mats that were laid on the ground. They were extremely reminiscent of tatami mats, but these were painstakingly hand-woven and much fluffier.

Kaiba dropped his clothes on the floor in the far corner and tried not to think about them.
A dead man's blood was splattered on his shirt and pants. He'd rather be naked.

Eyeing the wooden door cautiously, Kaiba wondered what would happen if he walked out of it in a bid for freedom.

But I'm naked, Kaiba balked privately to himself, opting to sit on the bed and stare at the strange arrangement of fruits and nuts on a clay plate.

Food?! Kaiba reeled, reaching for it and picking up a strangely lumpy raspberry. He stared at it for a long minute before sniffing it and popping it into his mouth to chew. It was tiny, but there was an explosion of sweet flavor on the tip of his tongue.

The moisture was welcome, and Kaiba realized water had also been brought for him too, but it had been set on the floor because there was no room on the flimsy nightstand made of thick branches tied together.

Kneeling on the ground, Kaiba snatched up the crudely made cup and downed it in three gulps, his eyes stinging with relief as his thirst was quenched briefly. The water tasted quite fresh, and Kaiba said a tiny prayer of thanks before getting back up on the bed to finish the rest of the odd assortment of nuts.

Thankfully, everything on the plate was edible, even when it didn't look like it. Some of the nuts had even been roasted, and Kaiba ate them gratefully. This meant these tribesmen knew how to make fire. They weren't that primitive, were they?

Kaiba racked his brain for information and wished Mokuba hadn't been whining during the tour guide's brief introduction about the local tribes.

"They keep several fires burning at all times because we believe they've forgotten how to make fire," the tour guide had said, and Mokuba had turned to him with his nose wrinkled to complain about how sweaty he was.

Shaking his head, Kaiba drew his legs up on the bed and patted the cloth sheets with his palm. This was a nice sheet… Did they make this? It was pretty fucking good given their surroundings.

He leaned back into the pillows and realized they'd also been stuffed with dried leaves, because they crunched slightly when he put his head down on them. His sunburnt skin ached, and Kaiba sat up gingerly, feeling extremely uncomfortable all over. He crept a finger over the nape of his neck and winced when he felt damp, raw skin.

Fuck me! Kaiba grit his teeth and winced in pain. He froze when he heard voices outside the door, instantly on high alert.

Men with guns? Men with spears? Which was it?

He scanned the room for a weapon and decided it was best to appear as passive as possible, lest he get shot to death.

Outside, Atem was arguing with Mahad and Mana about who should be the one to go in to collect the plate.

"You're the prettiest, therefore, you should go," Atem urged Mana, and she shot Atem a reproachful glare.

"You go! He's your bed warmer! What if he attacks me?"

"Let's not fight. I'll go," Mahad said, eyeing the wooden door apprehensively. "He's dangerous. I'll fetch my spear."

"If he's dangerous, we should station Shadi outside his door to keep him away from the rest of us!" Mana insisted, her eyes wide with fear. "Why did we keep him if he's dangerous?"

"He was dying!" Atem protested. "He was being cooked by the sun and was covered in blood!"

"I will grab my spear and also alert Shadi," Mahad announced, and he hastily turned to leave.

"Your three-day rule is stupid," Mana continued, aiming this at Atem. "Go in and see him now."

"I refuse," Atem said stiffly, unsure of how he would even begin to communicate with the pale stranger.

Mahad returned with a spear and Shadi at his side, looking generally displeased.

"Still fighting?" Mahad shook his head and gave Atem a reassuring smile. "I will go in now. Shadi will rush in to help me…if anything should happen."

"And I'm leaving because I don't want to see anyone get stabbed," Mana said stiffly, tucking her hair behind her ear and turning to leave in a huff.

Kaiba listened intently, hearing a woman's voice amongst all the men, and he wondered if it was the queen. The tour guide had said something about the local tribesmen having a 'royal hierarchy' but didn't specify if it was a king or queen.
Maybe the man he'd seen with golden armbands was a prince or something.

The door shifted as someone began moving the plank out of the way, and Kaiba stiffened, deciding not to get up from the bed. He had to appear as harmless as possible….

A muscular man wearing a woven grass loincloth entered the room carrying a spear, and Kaiba held his breath, making solid eye contact with him and taking in his large, angular eyes and dark skin.

This guy…looked vaguely familiar….

The tall man in the cloak! Kaiba realized in a rush, and he lowered his head in a respectful nod.

Maybe I'm saved, Kaiba thought darkly, eyeing the spearpoint as the man approached him and picked up the plate from the nightstand.

The man gave him a cold look and walked out of the concrete hut without another glance behind him. Another man with dark skin and a bald head peeked into the room. He was also carrying a spear and his shoulders were wrapped in a scarf. Two large earrings dangled from his lobes as he bent forward to slide the wooden plank back over the opening, and Kaiba blinked, realizing he was not saved at all.

So, they're…keeping me in here for some reason, Kaiba realized, hanging his head and hating how his skin burned and itched terribly.

Throwing himself facedown on the bed, Kaiba was marginally thankful that he hadn't seen another gun, and that his chest wasn't sunburned. It seemed to be his entire back and neck, along with the tops of his shoulders and arms. The sun had burned him through the clothes even though he'd been wearing a thin, long-sleeved UV blocking athletic shirt. And he was still thirsty.

FUCK! Kaiba cursed himself for not communicating to the man about needing more water.

I'm gonna die here…Mokuba, Kaiba draped his arm over the edge of the bed and tried to suppress the waves of despair consuming him steadily.

He shut his eyes slowly, letting himself drown in the fatigue that clouded his mind, and he drifted off to sleep.

"Atem…! Ateeem…"

Atem pried his eyes open sleepily and saw Mana hovering excitedly over him.

"Want to come peek at him?" She asked excitedly, rocking back and forth on her feet beside his bed. "I went in to look at him just now! Come with me this time! He's still asleep."

"I'm still asleep," Atem protested, but he was dragged out of bed and out the door, only to realize dawn was barely breaking. The sky was still minty bright green. The birds were happily singing their morning songs in the trees above and the air was fresh.

"He's so handsome," Mana gushed, tiptoeing to the foreigner's hut and giving Atem an encouraging nudge towards the crack in the door. "Go and see."

"I said I don't want to," Atem said uncertainly, poking his head into the hut and seeing a mess of brown hair splayed out over the pillows. "I looked."

"No…at him! At his face!" Mana squealed, pushing Atem closer to the door crack. "Go inside!"

"I've seen his face," Atem whispered nervously. "What if he wakes up?"

Mana sighed and pushed him inside, squeezing him through the crack of the plank, and Atem only fought back half-heartedly, his elbow scraping along the inside of the door briefly before he gave up.

"And…go…around!" Mana gestured for Atem to step around the bed, and Atem grit his teeth, wishing she would leave it alone, he knew that would never happen. Mana was strong-willed.

Atem crept alongside the bed and his breath caught painfully in his chest when he saw a wonderfully angelic face resting on the pillows. The man had high cheekbones that sloped down dramatically into a delicate jaw. His neck was pale, long, and slender, and Atem bit the inside of his cheek when he saw ugly, red patches of skin covering the entire expanse of the man's back and shoulders.

Hurrying out of the room, Atem moved the plank door back into place and gave Mana an appreciative nod.

"Very well. You're right. He's very pretty up close. Have you seen his skin? He needs an ointment."

"Oh, I know. I was making it with the ingredients Marik brought back when returned from hunting last night!" Mana whispered excitedly, pulling Atem into the medicinal hut. "Isis has been on edge ever since her brother has been staying out later and later. She's afraid he might hunt some foreigners on accident."

"That already happens." Atem replied darkly, unwittingly remembering the horrible tent filled with pale-skinned foreigners. "He's one of many."

"Marik?" Mana asked blithely, picking up a bowl that was covered with a wide leaf and handing it to Atem. "Yes, he's a great hunter. Our best."

Atem accepted it from her and gave her a confused look.

"I was referring to that man," Atem said, nodding at the hut behind them. "He was trapped in a tent ready to be slaughtered."

"Oh," Mana's face fell and she looked away, her ears red. "Good thing you saved him."

Atem gripped the bowl of medicine and nodded, trying to stem the rush of guilt and sympathy he felt for the other men he'd abandoned in the tent.

Kaiba opened his eyes slowly and closed them again, wondering if he was still living in the nightmare.

The skin on his back ached, and Kaiba pressed his face into the pillows, letting out a muffled groan. He'd heard voices around him earlier and he'd remained stubbornly asleep because he was waiting to hear his manservant calling for him to wake up, but there was nothing except for quiet whisperings from a male and female, in a language he couldn't understand.

He remembered the tour guide had said the tribesmen spoke a dead language, but didn't mention it's roots.

The door slid open again, and Kaiba decided it was best not to move and continue to pretend being asleep. The birds chirping in the sky above was deafening. It had to be early morning, because Kaiba didn't remember hearing birds this loudly in the afternoon.

There was a soft clink of a bowl hitting the nightstand, and Kaiba jerked his head up, remembering he had to ask for water. His chest constricted with shock when he found himself staring into the most beautiful face he'd seen in a long time.
It was a slender man with wild spiky hair, deeply bronzed skin, and large, angular eyes.

Atem froze, swallowing thinly when the man woke with a start and stared right at him. The man's eyes were a very clear, bright blue, and they were wide with fear.

"This is for your injuries," Atem took this chance to point at the bowl and then point to the back of his own neck.

Kaiba sat up slowly and winced, wondering what sign language he could use for 'water'. He cupped his hands together and tilted it toward his mouth and lowered them, maintaining eye contact with the pretty, spiky-haired man.

Atem's eyes widened slightly as he nodded to show he understood.

They stared silently at each other for another minute before Atem walked out of the hut and slid the door back over the opening, breathing a sigh of relief.

The foreigner didn't appear dangerous, but the way he communicated accurately was terrifying.

He was asking for water to drink.

Shaking his head to himself, Atem hurried to the well and decided to grab a pitcher from his own private collection.

Kaiba sagged tiredly against the pillows and wondered if it had worked. The man had nodded so that had to mean 'yes.' Also, he was fucking beautiful. He was wearing an insane amount of jewelry. Golden armbands decorated his toned arms, the armbands that looked similar to the ones he'd seen in the Murder Tent.

He's the shorter man in the dark cloak! Kaiba realized, pressing a hand to his head and reeling.

Well, at least they're feeding me, Kaiba thought as he peeled the leaf off the top of the bowl and wondered what kind of clear, gelatinous soup had been brought to him.

This did not look edible.

Kaiba dipped his fingers into it and realized it was medicine for his skin.
Right! The spiky-haired guy had said something about it while pointing at his neck in a non-threatening way.

He sniffed it and was pleased to discover there was little to no scent. Scooping up a glob with his fingers, he patted it onto his forearms and enjoyed the coolness against his skin. It was a welcome change to the stifling humidity surrounding him, so he hastened to slather it all over his sunburnt arms and neck.

While drying, the liquid left a wonderful iciness behind, and Kaiba dipped his fingers into the bowl for more, immensely grateful for the relief it brought to his aching, burning skin. Now if only he could reach all the way behind his back….

Twisting around awkwardly, Kaiba tried to slap the liquid onto his own shoulder blades, but to no avail. There was still the middle of his back where he couldn't reach. The liquid was also too thick to trickle down his skin.

God…dammit.

Deciding to give up, Kaiba sat cross-legged on the bed and waited for the spiky-haired man to return. Sure enough, the wooden plank was shoved aside, and the man stepped into the room, carrying a large pitcher. This one looked much less crude than the one he was using earlier.

They didn't make eye contact at all this man set the pitcher on the ground along with the cup and hurried out of the room without another look behind him.

Kaiba grit his teeth and watched the man slide the wooden door back into place.

So, these were the queen's…servants? He'd heard the queen demanding something earlier outside his door, and now he was getting a prettier servant.
One that didn't carry a spear.
How…nice?

Kaiba waited until he heard the footsteps fading into the distance before he threw himself at the pitcher and didn't bother with the cup. He tilted it straight into his mouth and took deep draughts of the refreshing water, his chest swelling with relief and happiness at the taste.

One upside to this hellhole was that their water was drinkable.

God, I fucking hope I don't get a disease from this water, Kaiba grumbled to himself, setting the pitcher down carefully and picking up the clay cup to examine it. It was nicely made and had a design swirled onto the surface.

He turned it over and saw symbols written along the bottom.
A name? A phrase?
The writing looked positively ancient, almost resembling glyphs.

I am…so fucked, Kaiba thought darkly, setting the cup on the nightstand, and his stomach grumbled with hunger.

It was one problem after another. His thirst was quenched, and his skin was healing. Now he was hungry. Kaiba spared a glance out the window and noted that the sun had barely risen, so he decided to go back to sleep.

There was nothing else to do here anyway.

He rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. The balm on his skin was soothing and cool, helping him drift off easily.

The sun rose into the middle of the sky, and Mahad approached the hut to peek inside, realizing the foreigner was still asleep. He pushed the door open all the way and walked in, recalling that he'd seen Atem rushing out of the hut this morning, red in the face.

A medicine bowl was sitting empty on the nightstand with the leaf pinned neatly underneath it, and Mahad stared at it for a long time. Atem was here this morning. Or rather, was Atem here all night, and had only left this morning?

Mahad frowned and set the plate of food in place of the medicine and hurried out of the hut, trying to contain the odd, curling feeling in his stomach.

He ran right into Marik, who was striding through the dwellings with two newly honed spears hefted on his shoulder.

"What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a fanged monkey," Marik flashed Mahad a grin and handed him a spear. "Let's go kill it."

"No thanks," Mahad answered gruffly, trying to sidestep him, but Marik was persistent.

"What is it? What did you see? Tell me," Marik pressed, and Mahad shook his head nervously, unsure if he should say anything.

"The foreigner?" Marik guessed, and Mahad's face darkened.

"Yes, him," Mahad sniffed and crossed his arms, looking away to hide his embarrassment. "King Atem wore him out all night and he's been asleep until now."

"Ah, the king is happy with his new bedwarmer?" Marik jeered, his teeth flashing white against his tanned skin as he grinned boyishly. "This is why the neighboring villages all prefer the strangers. They're fun… or so I hear. Is he letting us take turns?"

"No one touches him," Mahad repeated Atem's order stiffly and Marik's face fell dramatically.

"Of course… I could just get my own…"

"Don't you dare," Mahad fumed, and he brushed past Marik with his laughter ringing in his ears.

Kaiba woke up with a start, hearing laughter outside, and he sighed, thumping his head back on the pillow and wincing when his skin stung again.

It was hot, and he was drenched in sweat even though he was completely naked. His head swam every time he inhaled the thick, humid air, and he closed his eyes again, wondering if Mokuba was doing alright.

If these tribesmen were nice enough to keep him alive and fed, he could only hope that Mokuba was receiving the same treatment.

Author's note:

wuh ohhhh! Yea I sure hope kaiba doesn't get like a tapeworm from that water or something lmaoooooooo

Mana and atem taking turns peeking at him like wtf is going on guys pls and Mahad loooves getting the WRONG IDEA about EVERYTHING YEA?